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Advocacy for ASD in Canberra/ACT

I was told that at one of your recent workshops, the presenter and a Carer's ACT staff member told a mother of an autistic child that in order for the child to be eligible for the NDIS she needed an updated autism diagnosis if their child was diagnosed under the (pre-2013) DSM-IV.

Please do not tell people this, I understand that this is incorrect. The text of the DSM-5 (available at http://a4.org.au/dsm5-asd), the updated/post-2013 manual, says:

Here is the submission from Speaking Out for Autism Spectrum Disorder (SOfASD) and Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) to the Inquiry into the implementation, performance and governance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme being conducted by the Health, Ageing and Community Services Committee of the ACT Legistaltive Assembly.

Thank you for your response to our email. I also appreciate the time you spend talking to me at your "mobile office" on the 2-MAR-2018.

I am intrigued by the paragraph in your response that says:

I note that you also raised concerns with Ms De Luca regarding the NDIA Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) approach as it relates to autism. The ACT Government is aware that there are a number of community concerns relating to the ECEI approach as outlined in your correspondence. The Office for Disability is actively working with the NDIA both at a national and regional level to address these concerns and hopes to influence a positive outcome.

I expect that the precise "number" that you refer to in "a number of community concerns" is zero.

Executive Summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a distinct type of disability; it is not a sub-type of intellectual disability or developmental delay.

The number of autistic students, that is students diagnosed with ASD, has increased to a point where there are now more autistic students than students with intellectual disability. Between 30% and 50% of autistic students also have intellectual disability.